Here are 10 concise biographical points on Amitabh Bachchan:

Born 11 October 1942 in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, into a literary family — son of poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan and social activist Teji Bachchan

Educated at Sherwood College (Nainital) and Kirori Mal College (University of Delhi), earning a B.A. before moving into theater and business

Film debut in 1969 with the ensemble film Saat Hindustani; first rose to prominence with the 1971 role in Anand

Became Bollywood’s “Angry Young Man” after starring in Zanjeer (1973) and Deewaar (1975), embodying the anti-hero archetype

Dominated 1970s–80s Hindi cinema, starring in blockbusters like Sholay, Amar Akbar Anthony, Don, and Coolie

Suffered near-fatal injury during a stunt in Coolie (1982); made a dramatic recovery and return to cinema

Entered politics in 1984, won a Lok Sabha seat from Allahabad with a record margin, and resigned in 1987 amid controversy

Diversified into TV and production: hosted Kaun Banega Crorepati (Indian Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?) since 2000, co-founded AB Corp (1995), later suffering financial setbacks

Award-packed: winner of 4 National Film Awards, 16 Filmfare Awards; honored with Padma Shri (1984), Bhushan (2001), Vibhushan (2015), Legion of Honour (France, 2007), and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2018)

Humanitarian roles: UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for polio eradication; financially supported farmers and medical causes, and established the Harivansh Rai Bachchan Memorial Trust for solar projects